1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a binding/boot combination for snowboards or the like, having boot-retaining devices which are arranged on the snowboard or the like or on parts connected thereto. More particularly, the invention relates to bindings which act in the region of the center of the boot on the longitudinal sides of the sole or on boot side parts connected thereto, and, when the boot is introduced into the binding, the binding can be changed over automatically or voluntarily from a release position into a latched or closed position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A binding/boot combination of this type forms the subject matter for U.S. Pat. No. 4,973,073. In this patent, a long, wide and rigid plate part is arranged on the sole in the central foot region of the boot. The plate part has a U-shaped cross section, with the lowermost portion extending in the longitudinal direction of a received boot. Flaps or webs located on lateral longitudinal edges of the plate part, engage a stationary boot-retaining part of the binding on one side of the boot, and interact with a boot-retaining part of the binding on the other side of the boot. The binding can be converted between a latched position and a release position. When the boot is introduced into the binding, the binding can be pressed down into the latched position from its release position. On account of its large dimensions in the longitudinal and transverse directions of the boot, the plate part causes the boot to be very stiff. Furthermore, the lateral overhang of the plate part hinders the snowboarder when walking with the plate part attached to the boot.
A further binding/boot combination of the type specified in the introduction is known from International Patent Application Publication No. WP 94/16784. A comparatively small plate part is discussed in this publication which is arranged on the sole in the central foot region of the boot. The plate part has an essentially rectangular shape and interacts with boot-retaining parts of the binding by means of shorter edges, which extend in the longitudinal direction of the boot. On account of the small place where the boot is anchored on the binding, the boot must have a comparatively rigid shell.
DE-U 94 133 356 discloses a binding/boot combination in which the binding grips the boot in the heel region by means of two lateral pivot hooks whose ends are designed in the manner of latching lugs and engage into lateral depressions on the heel region. Arranged in the toe region or in the region of the ball of the foot of the boot sole is a transverse flange which is pushed into a fixed hook-shaped securing device of the binding when the snowboarder introduces the boot into the binding. The securing device of the front region of the boot is intended, on the one hand, to increase the fastenings base of the boot in the binding. On the other hand, it predetermines the desired position of the heel-side depressions relative to the pivot hooks when the boot is introduced into the binding.
An object of the invention is to provide an improved binding/boot combination for attaching a boot to a snowboard or the like.
Another object is to provide a binding/boot combination enabling various designs of the boot sole.
Yet another object is to provide snowboard bindings capable of arranging boots mounted on a snowboard.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a binding for snowboards which can be used with unconventional snowboarding practices, but which is still usable with comfortable boots.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide an improved binding for a snowboard or the like which can be practiced in an efficient and economical manner.
These objects are achieved according to the preferred embodiment of the invention with a boot-retaining device which interacts at positions of a central boot section which are symmetrical with respect to a transverse axis and a longitudinal axis of the boot sole, with the longitudinal sides of the boot sole or the side parts. A profile or tactile engagement surface on the underside of the boot sole engages with a mating profile or tactile location surface on the upper side of the snowboard or the like or of a part associated therewith, e.g., a base plate of the binding, the side parts and the boot-retaining devices which interact therewith as well as the profile and the mating profile preferably being designed such that the boot can be retained in the binding both in the forward direction and in the backward direction.
The invention is particularly directed to young snowboarders who try clever snowboarding techniques with bindings according to the invention which, in its preferred form, is particularly suitable for unconventional snowboarding practices, but which binding can be used in combination with comfortable boots. Since the boot is positively locked in connection with the snowboard and cannot move in the region of the ball of the foot and in the heel region, because of the mating profiles of the sole and snowboard in the region of the ball of the foot and the heel, firm securing with respect to the vertical axis of the snowboard or of the tibia axis of the snowboarder is achieved even if there is only a narrow base for the boot-retaining devices, which act in the central region of the boot. Furthermore, the boot is of a soft and flexible design.
Moreover, the binding according to the preferred form of the invention provides the advantage that operating elements of the binding, e.g., unlocking levers or other hand-operated parts, may be arranged on either side of the boot, depending on the wishes of the snowboarder. For this purpose, all that is required is for the respective binding to be turned through 180xc2x0 with respect to the vertical axis, i.e., to be mounted in the xe2x80x9cbackward directionxe2x80x9d rather than in the xe2x80x9cforward direction.xe2x80x9d
According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, a dimensionally stable or rigid fitted piece is arranged on the boot sole or can be fitted thereon or can be embedded in the boot sole, which fitted piece can be introduced between the boot-retaining devices from above and has the side parts which interact with the boot-retaining devices.
In this arrangement, it is preferably provided that the outside of the side parts are at a transverse spacing from one another which corresponds approximately to the sole width. The side parts have a longitudinal border, over which a boot-retaining device of the binding is engageable. An opening is provided inside the longitudinal border which connects the upper side and underside of the longitudinal border and whose cross section is dimensioned such that, when a boot is introduced into the binding or when the binding is closed, a layer of snow or ice which has formed above the longitudinal border can be forced away, by way of the boot-retaining device, downward through the opening, in the direction of a free space provided there in the binding.
The fitted piece makes many designs of the boot possible, especially with regard to its flexibility. Since the fitted piece is arranged in the central foot region, there is no comfort lost, because the stiffening in the sole caused by the fitted piece virtually cannot be felt at all in the central foot region. At the same time, particularly secure fixing of the boot in the binding is ensured, especially with respect to the longitudinal direction of the boot and in the vertical direction.
If appropriate, the fitted piece may also be part of an adapter or an overboot to which basically any design of boot can be used, or a very flexible inner boot can be connected or accommodated and thus introduced into the binding.